Method of operating stills and removing coke therefrom.



c. s. BUEHGER. METHOD OF OPERATING STJLLS AND REMOVING COKE THEREFROM.

FILED FEB. 7. 1918,

APPLICATION 1,302,761, Paitnted May 6, 1919.

' I 2 SHEETS-SHEETJ.

, c; B.:HUER GER.: METHOD OF. OPERATING STILLS AND REMOVING COKE THEREFROM APPLICATION FILED FEB, 7, 191B.

. Patelited May 6,1919

2 SHEETS-SHEET UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES IB. BUERGER, or PHILADELPHI PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR. r0 'rnn ATLANTIC REFINING COMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A con- PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF OPERATING STILLS AND REMOVING COKE THEREFROM.

Application filed February 7. 1918.

To. all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES B. BUERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Operating Stills and Removing Coke Therefroni, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a. method of operating stills and removing coke or deposit from stills employed in oil refineries for reducing or distilling petroleum or petroleum distillate or residuum.

It is the object of my invention to provide a method which will make it possible promptly after completion of a still run.

and Without the loss of time incident to the cooling of the still and contents to a temperature making it possible for still cleaners to enter the still as in the old andcommon practice, to remove the coke or practically solid deposit from the still with greater economy in time and labor, whereby the period during which the still is not in operation in treating or distilling oil is materially reduced, and. consequently, the pro portion of the time in which the still is in operation upon oil is materially increased. To these ends I have provided a method of the character hereinafter described, in which there are employed within the still a plurality of frames, cages or pans within. around and above which the coke or the like is deposited and which are withdrawn. preferably in succession, in a horizontal direction from the still, suitably constructed for the purpose, each frame. cage or pan removing the contained and adjacent coke.

.For an understanding of a mode of practising my method and an illustration of one of the forms my apparatus may take. reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l'is a side elevational view. partly in section, of a still constructed and equipped in accordance with my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view. partly in plan, of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the structure of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cage or frame.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

Serial 110.215,?64.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the cage or frame of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, S represents an oil still, here shown of the horizontal cylindrical type, suitably housed and supported by brickwork 1 forming beneath the still manhole member 6 whose lower side is of circular form conforming to the shape of the still'bottom and whose upper side is illustrated as horizontal, Fig. 3, thereby forming a manhole of relatively great widthand of a height preferably above the level of the coke deposited in the still. The member 6 has the front flanges 7 to which is bolted the flange 9 of the manhole cover 8.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is illustrated a cage or frame 10. rectangular in form. comprising the side members 11, 11 and the diagonal member 12, all secured at opposite corners of the frame by rivets 13. And extending through the parts of the members 11 and 12 which are so held by the rivets are the holes 14. 1-1 for attachment of chains 15 or the like.

The frame illustrated is one of many forms, it being understood that any other suitable shape or form is comprehended by my invention. For example, the frames may be triangular, hexagonal or any other suitable shape which will allow their placement close to each other within the still.

The frame illustrate-d has no bottom. and this is my preferred construction, though it will be understood that my invention is not limited tobottomless frames or cages, and that pans may be employed, which latter are comprehended within the terms frameclose to the still bottom notwithstanding the buckling f the same which occurs in pracleft, Figs. 1 and 2, there is imparted to each.

in succession a twisting or turning movement.

The operation is as follows: i When the cages or frames have been suitably placed within'the still, the manhole 6 is closed by bolting on the cover 8. The other still openings, as manholes 3 and i, having been closed, oil to be treated is in- Y troduced into the still and operated upon in well known manner by application of heat produced in tlie fire chamber F.

During the process coke is deposited on the bottom ofthe still, and in it the ,frames 10 become embedded. As the still run ap proaches completion, the deposit becomes denser and denser and the final step is ordinari'ly to run to dryness, whereby coke or practically solid carbonaceous material lies to'great depth on the still bottom. For this purpose the presence of the metallic frames 10 is of advantage in that the numerous metal plates or strips of the frames readily conduct heat into the mass of coke or tar and assist in driving out all remanent oil.

When the still has been so run to dryness the run has been completed.

Th'ereupon, when necessary, steam is introduced into the still and allowed tofiow for a; time sufiicient to displace the residual vapors and combustible atmosphere.

Immediately. the manhole cover 8 is loosened it'may be hoisted to the position indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 by any suitable hoisting apparatus 16 supported upon the bracket 17 carriedby the still or otherwise suitably supported.

- The' chain 18, Fig. 2, is connected to the firstgframe m of the series, and connects to any suitable -meehanism for exerting a pull upon the chain 18.?v For this purpose an ordinarypower driven Windlass or the like may be employed. In so pulling upon the chain 18 the first frame 10 is given more or'less ofa twisting or turning movement, thereby loosening the coke adhering thereto or disposed within the same and theneighboring parts of the coke are separated from the remainder of the mass and from the still bottom. This first frame is pulled out throughthe manhole 5 and inso moving transmits a pull through-the chain 15 connecting to the second frame, which removes its mass of coke; then the chain 15 connected to the first frame of the second row is brought under tension, rotating or twisting the first frame of the second row and pulling it outwardly,-and so on throughout the series, the frames of a row being successively pulled and more or less rotated and then the next rows in succession,

By this action substantially all the coke within the still, practically 85% thereof as has been found in practice, is removed a part at a time.

The coke whenremoi'ed immediately after the completion of the run as described may be at red heat and upon contact with the air may burst into flame. flaming coke as it comes from the still is quenched, as by playing a hose thereon.

By the above described mode or operation a great amount of heat existing within the still at the end of a run is removed by actually removing the hot coke itself; and it is the red heat of the coke which under the old and common practice necessitated the cooling of the still, requiring approximately six hours, before men could enter to break up the coke and remove it. When the hot coke has been removed in a relatively short time, say three quarters of an hour, as above described, after removal of the manhole cover 8, the still may be entered and the small re-i-naining amount of coke swept out through the manhole 5, the coke coming freely away from the metal shell of the still. The manhole 5 is of such form that there is no ledge higher-than the bottom B over which the frames and coke must be'raise'd or drawn.

The frames, from which all coke has been removed outside the still, are then replaced in the still, the manhole cover 8- replaced and the still recharged for the next run.

By the above described method and apparatus a still of a given size may be cleaned and recharged for the next run in about three to six hours from the time the fire is drawn at the end of the preceding run, whereas with a still of like size and character under the old and common practice the time elapsing has been about twelve hours.

When under the old practice the still is run about sixty hours and is idle about twelve hours, by the method herein described a run of sixty hours is followed by an idle period of approximately only three to six hours, whereby the total time of a run comprising distillation and idle periods is reduced from about 72 hours to about 65 hours. This means that with a given still equipment far more oil can be treated in a given time, with the resultthat the investment in still structure is far more productive.

What I claim is:

1. The method of removing from a still the deposit formed therein in running the In such case the.

'bers horizontally still to dryness in treatment of oil, which consists 1n placing within the still a plurality of members which become embedded in the deposit .as formed, and removing the deposit in sections by removing said memin succession from the still.' i

2. The method of removing from a still the deposit formed therein in running the still to dryness in treatment of oil, Which consists'in placing within the still a series of members movable independently of each other and connected in series and which become embedded in the deposit as formed,

and rembving the deposit. by'pulling and rotating said members in succession and withdrawing them'from'the still.

3. The method of removing from a' still the deposit formed therein-in running the still to dryness in treatment of oil, .which consists in placing Within the still a .pluralvity of members movable independently of each other and connected in series insuccessive rows and which become embedded in i the deposit as formed, and removing said deposit by removing said members in suceession'by exerting thereon a rotating force and a pull COIlllIllll'llCfltGdilIl succession from one member tolthe next-in the series.

4. The method ofoperating a coking still, 'which consists in placing. in the still a series of members movable independently of each other and connected in series, distilling oil and running the residuum to dryness Where by said members are embedded in coke, immed'iately upon completion of the run and displacement of combustible vapors removing the hot coke in successive sections by cullin said members in succession horizon tally from the still.

5. The method of removing-from a still having a substantiallyhorizontally disposed bottom the deposit formed therein in running the still to dryness in treatment oloil, which consists in placing within the still a plurality of flexibly interconnected frames Which become embedded in the deposit as formed, and removing the. deposit in sucy thestill bottom and through the still head by pulling and rotating said frames in succession and Withdrawing them from the still. I i

7. The method of operating a coking still,

vwhich consists in placing upon the still bottill tom a series of flexibly connected members,

distilling oil and running the residuum to dryness whereby said members are embedded in coke, immediately upon completion of the run and While the cokeis still at 'a temperature at which it will kindle in contact with the 'air, pulling said'coke in sections substantially horizontally along the still bottom'through the still head into the atmosphere by removing said members in succession.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto atfiged my signature this 4th day of February, 1 l8.

CHARLES E.

till 

